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Ryan Fitzpatrick says Jameis Winston is the 'heartbeat of the team'

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found themselves in a bit of a dilemma heading into Sunday’s Week 7 matchup versus the Buffalo Bills. Now that Jameis Winston is in the midst of rehabbing an AC sprain he suffered against the Cardinals, Tampa Bay is working on determining whether he will be eligible to suit up or if backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be under center for the Buccaneers.

During Wednesday’s press conference at One Buc Place, Fitzpatrick made it clear that he has pretty big shoes to fill Sunday if he’s starting in place of the 23-year-old gunslinger this week, emphasizing how Winston is “the heartbeat of the team.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick says part of motivation when he fills in for J. Winston is not letting Winston down. Calls Jameis “heartbeat of the team.”

Fortunately for Tampa Bay, Fitzpatrick put on a solid performance and escorted the offense to an incredible comeback during the second half of last week’s game versus the Cardinals. Following a 24-point deficit, Fitzpatrick helped the Buccaneers bounce back and nearly notch a big road win. His overall experience which includes 116 starts in his career along with his wealth of knowledge of the game should help the Buccaneers if their first-string signal caller is out this week no doubt.

Winston’s status has yet to be determined as of now, but we’ll continue to provide updates as the week progresses.

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